Project information

Night Shelter Home for Street Children

Dost Foundation will set up an overnight shelter home for street children. DOST already has day care centers for these children, but there is nowhere for them to go at night when they are most vulnerable. They will be given a number of services including education , and reunited with their families

Charity information: Dost Foundation UK

Need

According to Asian Human Rights Commission, more than 1m children are on the streets of Pakistan's major cities. This number is rapidly growing due to armed conflicts and other natural disasters. There are more than 8000 children on the streets of Peshawar alone (50% increase in 5 years). These children are vulnerable to bonded labour, harassment, sexual abuse, trafficking, and lack access to health and education. These factors in turn lead to massive street cultures and high crime rates.

Solution

DOST currently has a Day Care Centre- DCC- in the Haji Camp, a very high risk area, where children are provided an array of services. However, at night, they have nowhere to go and become especially vulnerable to abuse and criminalisation. Our overnight shelter home will provide protection, family reunification through network organisations, family mobilization and education for improving the childs future prospects, and after care and follow up services for reintegration into the community.

Aim 1

Providing street children temporary overnight shelter.

Activities

» Identifying children who have no family contact, and no place to go at night through our outreach teams and network organisations. » Registering the children and providing them with food, lodging, healthcare, counselling, and education.

We will have 20 children at a time in our shelter, who are more knowledgeable, and will follow the rules and disciplines of the shelter home during their stay.

Aim 2

Reuniting children with their families.

Activities

» Tracing the childs family through our extensive network of organisations and making contact with them in their homes and arranging meetings.

80% of the children will be reunited with their families and off the streets.

Aim 3

Sensitising and mobilising the families.

Activities

» The family will be explained the child's situation and provided counselling for whatever issues/needs they may have.
» They will be apprised of their roles and responsibilities and will be fully involved through every stage of the child’s development/rehabilitation.

After counselling, the parents will address their domestic issues and work to create a more congenial environment for their children.

Aim 4

Making future plans for each child, and reintegrating them into the family and community.

Activities

» A future plan will be devised for each child taking into account his history, socio- economic status, skills and interests, and family participation. » We will provide non-formal education,with a one month basic literacy course and if parents agree, the child will be referred for formal education. » DOST will help to reintegrate the child into his family and the community , as the need may be.

Over 60% of the children will receive education, skills training, and will continue to do so for a year.

Aim 5

Children who are drug abusers and at risk of HIV & STI's will be given treatment and rehabilitation.

Activities

» These children witll be referered to Dost's treatment centre for comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation. » STI and HIV testing will be done by DOST and the positive cases will be referred for treatment.

Impact

The children that have been reintegrated with their families will not come back on the streets, they will be attending school.
Fewer children will be involved in crime, and this will be demonstrated by the reduced number of juvenile offenders in Peshawar prison.
Children who are drug abusers will be fully treated and rehabilited, and united with thier families. They will be drug free and lead normal lives.

Risk

Natural disasters, military action, and terrorist activities are all risks that could affect the running of this project. However, the government has disaster management plans to deal with such contingencies and to provide security.

Another risk comes from local street mafias who employ these children for criminal activities. However, DOST has a strong network with the police child protection centres/units who will provide security in crisis situations.

Reporting

DOST will report to donors on monthly/quarterly basis with project performance reports made to donor requirements. Annual reports, both financial and narrative, will be supplied at the end of each year.

Location

The project will take place in Peshawar, Pakistan, in the Haji camp area, which is the main bus terminal for transport from all over the country. It has a very high population of street and homeless children and is also a hub for criminal elements who look for such children to recruit them for their nefarious activities.

Beneficiaries

In addition to the street and homeless children and their families benefiting directly from the shelter home and the day care centre, the whole community will feel the impact of DOST's activities. The community will be safer, and have a more secure environment as a result of criminal gangs moving away from the area because of limited access to children.

Why Us?

DOST has been working for 21 years now with vulnerable children in different settings - refugee camps, prisons, streets and the community. We provide comprehensive services based on their needs and rights which include drug treatment and rehabilitation, HIV prevention and care, education, healthcare, and working with all stakeholders on issues of child protection. DOST has received several national and international awards and have recently been the subject of a documentary by an Oscar winner.